Retort for extracting products from solid carbonaceous materials



1,927,003 W AINSCO IAL 3. CEOUS MATER Sept. 12 193 ACTING PRODUCTS FROM soL CARBON R RETORT FOR E -Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 13, 1928 4 Sheets- Sept. 12, 1933. J w w 1,927,003

RETORT FOR EXTRACTING PRODUCTS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL Filed Nov. 13, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet: 3

Sept. 12, 1933. .1. w. H. AINSCOW 1,927,003

RETORT FOR EXTRACTING PRODUCTS FROM SOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL Fi-led Nov. 15, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 12, 1933 V 1,927,003. RETORT .FOR EXTRACTING P R 0 EU CT S FROM S 0 LI D CARBONACEOUS RIALS MATE- Joseph William Horace Ainscow, Lindfield, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, assignor to Percy Harwood Newell, Sydney, Australia Application November 13, 1928, Serial No. 319,159, and in Australia November 22, 1927- 5 Claims. (01. 202-117 This invention relates to the extraction of volatile and vaporizable oils from :oil shales, coal and other solid'carbonaceous materials and comprises an improved retort for extraction continuously and at relatively low capital cost and operating expense and whereby thepproducts are segregated, cracking is minimized, and production of tar and avoidance of caking or agglomeration of the residue are avoided.

The improved retort consists of a long retort or mufile disposed horizontally or declined from the horizontal and having depending cross septa or contractions at intervals in its length, a feed hopper near the higher end, and ends depending into liquid seal tanks, an endless conveyor through said retort, ends and seal tanks, means for moving said conveyor, and a furnace chamber about the retort and adapted to be heated.

And in order that the invention and a practical application thereof will be readily understood the same will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure 1 is a semi-diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus,

Figures 2 and 3 read together represent a longitudinal sectional elevation partly in elevation of the apparatus, 7

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of part of the retort.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section through,

a section of the drag plate Figure 11 is an'elevation of the front or entry end of the apparatus, 4

Figure 12 is a sectional elevationon the line 12--12 in Figure 2,

Figure 13 isasectional elevation on the line 13 l3 in Figure 2, L

Figure 14 is an end elevatio the apparatus, a

Figure 15 is a perspective. of a' retort. section with a receiver chamber above .a depression in the retort; this depression resulting in the ma-' terial as it is drawn through the. contraction in Q of the exit end of the retort operating as a septum or seal to segregate zone sections of theretort, and

Figures 16 and 17 are sectional elevations on the planes 16--16 and 17-17'respectively in is built up-of sections connected end to end with septa or contractions'at appropriate intervals. The end sections depend into liquid sealchambers. A feed hopper is provided at the higher end and aresidue receiver at the lower end of the retort or muffle and a furnace chamber encloses the retorts or muffies. This furnace chamber is provided with inspection openings and with fire passages at appropriatepositions.. An endless drag-plate conveyor is installed in each retort.

The retort chamber or zone sections 21 of requisite length which'have a longitudinal pasbored-and'faced flange 26 for butting and b'olt-.

ing together with packing 'therebetween if desired, radial lugs 2'7 for supporting the section in the furnace and for convenience in handling, and ports 28 through the top at desired positions. and preferably threaded ,for connection thereto of steam, gas or air pipes 29 and thermo-couple 30 for connection to a 'pyrometer for indicating at a convenient observation positionthe degree of temperature in the zone of the retort to which itis fitted.

' If a longer zone section be required, instead of making the sections 21 to requisite length two or more shorter sections may be connected end to end.

Each contracted retort section 31 (Figure 15) has a downwardly contracted medial passage 32 formed by an inward and downward convergence to said passage 32 from each end which hasa' mouth 33 complementary to the passage 22of' the sections 21 and is-adapted such as by a bored and faced flange 34 to be buttedand bolted to the sections 21' with packing therebetween'if desired, and said section 31 has formed with the denser (not shown). Preferably said chamber about the retort.

the event of structural movement due to expansion and contraction, each seal casing 42 at the feed or upper end of the retort having a" feed hopper 4'? set thereabove and incommunication with the branch 43 and having feed regulating means such as a revolvable longitudinally fluted or circumierentially divisioned feed roller 48 whose shaft 49 is preferably geared, such as by sprockets 50 and 50 and chain51, to the shaft of the tumbler 44.

Beneath each seal casing 42 is a water seal tank 53 aranged upon suitable support so that the depending branch 46 of the said casing will be submerged in the content or said tank, to requisite depth according to the pressure required to be attained in the retort, such tank having a removably secured sludge'plate 54 orother suitable means for emptying the tank or for removal or" any sediment that may collect therein, and transversely disposed tumblers or rollers 55 for supporting and guiding the endless.

drag-plate conveyor into the tank and the seal case branch &6 at the feed end of the retort,

thetumbler 55 under the seal case branch 46 and-in the'tank 53 at the discharge 'end being provided with sprockets 67 adapted to engage the plates of the conveyor, and its shaft being provided with suitable means'such as a gear. 52 whereby motion at requisite speed may be imparted tosaid tumbler from convenient source in order that the drag-plate conveyor will be drawn at required speed according to the nature of the material being treated and the length of the retort vzones, .such' driven tumbler and the other tumblerst55 guiding the endless dragplate conveyor from the case branch 46.and through and from the tank 53 at that end of J the retort.

If desired the. tank 53 at the discharge end end'and into whichthe-residue of the treated material falls, may be provided'in lieu of the sludge plate 54: with other means such as flush cocks or a bucket elevator, for removing such residue as it collects or is deposited in said tank.

The furnace 59 enclosing the retort2l is constructed of suitable'material such as fire bricks built upon a plate'bottom 56 supported by trans-v verse bearers 57 carried on a bed of suitable construction such as brick walls 58, and it has'a flue 60 at the higher end and'vertical passages 61 in the sidewalls, and at required longitudinal posietions through each side wallinspection openings 62 and fire passages 63, which latter preferably have. a baffle 64 (Figure-13 thereacross to spread flame entering the opening and diffuse the heat The hot furnace gas passes up about and along the retorts and through the passages 61 to the top of the furnace 59, waste hot gases in the latter passing along to the. flue 60 and under the boiler 65 or through tubes therethrough when a fire-tubeboiler is used.

The boiler is connected through convenient pipe lines and control cocks therein to' the pipes 29 of the retort for use of steam when required for cleansing or for introduction or" water vapor into the retorting material or for other purposes about the plant. Between the Walls of the bed 58, axles 66 are mounted and carry rollers 55 for supporting the return of theconveyor.

Heat may be applied to the retort through each preferred means are regulatable oil burners 68 connected by pipe 69 to a source of oil or other smaller than; the cross section of the contracted passage 32 of the retort sections 31. The plates '73 have roundedor bull nosed edges-7e, and on each face a plurality of pairs (say three) of transversely holed lugs '15, and they are connectedby links 76 secured between each pair of lugs bypins '77.

Instead of the pairs of lugs 75, there may be used a plurality of spaced single lugs connected by pairs of links 76. I Y

In operation, the. solid carbonaceous material such as oil-shale or coal is crushed or otherwise reduced to granular. condition, the dust is pref-- erably removed therefrom and a supply thereof is maintained in the feeding hopper 47 and substantially seals the retort 21. roller 48 in the hopper is rotated at a speed which delivers the prepared material at a predetermined rate into the retort between the spaced draw plates 73 of the drag-plate conveyor. veyor is kept in movement through the retort at requisite slow speed, the direction of its motion being from the higher end to the lower-end of the retort. The plates 73 draw the material along the bottom of the retort, the friction thereon of said material and the swelling of the latter due to heat causing the material to pile or bank up against the rear plate 73 as shown in Figure 4 so that as each banked up quantity of material is drawninto the contracted passage 32 of each section 31 it will be pressed downwardly and slightly inwardly against said plate by the declined entrance of said passage and so will form a moving wad, closure or seal of which a plurality will always be moving through said passage which will thus be closed or sealed though permitting continuous movement of the material through the retort, and upon emergence of the material from the contracted passage it will pile or bank up again as it is drawn through the nextzone and will be pressed down again as it enters the next contraction. The different heat zones of the retort are thus closed or sealed, the material itself functioning as the closure. The furnace is controlled to attain an independent increased temperature in each succeeding zone of the retort so that the temperature grade ascends from its entering end to its exit end, thus to obtain progressive stage treatment of the material as it is drawn through the retort. face of the stream of material under treatment, touches the septa, and .the sides of it contact with the retort sides, so that intermediate the respective septavacuous chambers are formed above 6 ea The volatile and vaporous products The divlsioned feed The con- F The top sur- ,fire opening 63 in any suitable manner but the which are evolved and are collected inthese chambers are. drawn oif into separate containers and condensed, and when necessary, the condensates are re-treated by .knownmethods to frac' tionate them or to purify them. --In order. to seal. the zones of separation'from each-other, anditopass therefrom through the port 37 and passage 36 into the chamber 35 and from there through the outlet port 38 and a pipe connected therewith to a condenser where the product is obtained in a liquid state, noncondensible gases being led away for other treatment or directly utilized for their fuel'value. After the material being treated has passed through the last contraction in theretort it passes through the last zone'and thence through the seal case into the water seal tank 53 in which the carbonaceous residue is collected. .The dragplate conveyor passes around and over the guide rollers 55 in the tanks 53 and therefrom over the support rollers 55 along to the entrance end of the retort. g

The cooling service of the condensers may be connected tothe seal tank at the discharge end of the retort; said tank is furnished with gate valves through which residue may be flushed.

The temperatures are controlled appropriately to obtain the volatile and vapor products progressively. In the first zone the temperature is held at the point at, which only the lightest products are driven oil", and the succeeding zones are heated to progressively higher temperatures, the temperature in the last zone of the series being high enough to obtain the heaviest desired fraction. Although the temperatures at which hydrocarbons are vaporized from oil-shales, coal-and other solid carbonaceous materiaLare well established in the known art of low temperature carbonization, as varying materials contain different quali-v ties of hydrocarbons, to evolve which it is necessary to subject the material to varyingldefinite temperatures and for varying periods in order to ascertain such definite temperatures and the periods, a fair sample of the material is subjected during gentle agitation in a testing retort to gradually; increased temperature and for varying periods so that the advantageous degrees of heat and periods at which the hydrocarbons will freely evolve can be ascertained, and this data having been obtained the respective zones in the improved apparatus are raised to and maintained at such respective temperatures. 7 j

.. I'claim:

1. A retort for the purposes set fOlthgCOlIlPIiS- ing' a long chamber disposed substantially horizontally, depressionsacross the ceiling of said retort at intervals in its length to form contracted passages eachwith inwardly. tapering entrance between adjacent zone sections, means for educting gases, and vapors through the retort walls from each zone section, means for continuously feeding treatment material into one end of said retort, means for drawing said material in a continuous stream through said retort, means'for removing the residual solids at the other end of said retort, means for externally heating said retort so as to establish desired temperature in re- -spective zone sections, and chambers in the retort opening into them at one side offthe depressions and eduction vent through their outer walls.

2. Improvedapparatus for extracting products from solid carbonaceous material, comprising a longitudinal inclined retort divided into. a plurality of'longitudinally spaced zone sections by downward contractions in the passage thereof, and a gas and liquid collecting chamber contiguous to each said contraction and in communication with the retort at the higher end of each zone section thereof, all enclosed in a furnace provided with firing means at intervals in the retorts length perature in the respective. zone sections of the retort, a longitudinal passage to a fiue'at the higher end and internal vertical heat passages about the retort, a casing connected to each end of the retort and having anopen end depending into a liquid seal tank, means for regulatably feeding material in a granular or like condition into the higher end of the retort, and an endless conveyor passing through the casing "and the retort and adapted to convey the treatment material through the retort and past the contractions wall above the ceiling depressions having vents adapted for establishing difierent degrees of temtherein in a continuous shallow stream contacting with said contractions and substantially closing intercommunication thereat between zone sections in the retort.

3. Improved apparatus for extracting products from solid carbonaceous material, comprising an inclined longitudinal retort divided into aplurality of longitudinally spaced zone sections by downward contractions in the passage thereof,

and a gas and liquid collecting chamber contiguous to each of said contractions and in communication with the retort at the higher end of each zone section thereof, all enclosed in a furnace provided with firing means at intervals in the retorts lengthadapted for establishing different degrees of temperature in the respective zone sections of the retort, a longitudinal passage to'a flue at the higher end and internal vertical heat passages about the retort, a casing connected to each end of theretort and having an open end depending into a liquid sealtank, means for adjustably feeding material in a granular ,condi- 7 tion into the higher end of the retort, and endless means passing through the casing and the retort and adapted to draw the treatment material through the retort and through the con tracted passages therein formed by said contractions in acontinuous shallow stream conpassage thereof to form a series of zone sections,

and a product collecting chamber in communication With the forward end of each said zone,

sections and adapted for connection to a 0011-. denser, a furnace having a longitudinal passage with the retort enclosed therein to form lower and upperlongitudinal passages to a fiue at the upper end, vertical heat passages in the side' walls in communication with said lower and upper passages, fire passages and inspection openings in said lower passage, a casing connected to each end of the retort externally of the furnace and having a conveyor tumbler mounted f therein, said casing depending into a liquid'seal tank, a conveyor tumbler and rollers, an endless conveyor carrying a plurality of longitudinally and regularly spaced drag-plates just smaller than the cross section of the contractions in the passage of the retort, means for driving said conveyor, and means for feeding treatment maward contraction in the passage thereof toform a contracted passage with an inwardly-tapered entrance and a gas and liquid collecting charmber above said contraction and in communicationwith one end of said passage and having an opening closed by a removably secured closurewith a. port therethrough adapted for connection there-.

to of an ofi.-take pipe.z v

JOSEPH WJLLIAM'HORACE 'AINSCOW 

